Buyer shortlist questions for AI search agencies

If you cannot tell how your business appears in selected answers, start with measurement. If you have observations but no explanation or priorities, diagnosis is the missing job. If the priorities are clear but nobody can carry them out, you need implementation capacity.

For example, a team that already has a developer and an editor may need a focused audit rather than another retainer. A team without those people should check who will actually change the pages before buying more tracking.

Request the question, answer platform, mode, capture date, returned answer and linked sources from the same observation. That lets you check what was actually measured. A presentation that shows only a score leaves the underlying result unclear.

Ask whether the observation came from an API or the interface customers use. Those are different environments. A provider should explain its coverage and limits without presenting one as a complete record of the other.

Put the proposed scopes side by side: question panel, platform coverage, technical checks, page review, changes included, reporting frequency and the person accountable for delivery. A diagnostic report and a monthly implementation service are different purchases.

Check access requirements, software costs and what happens when a platform is unavailable. Confirm whether you receive an export and can use the findings with your own team if you decide against continuing.

Ask what would count as a useful change and what could not be concluded from it. A citation in one answer is not proof of a recommendation, a lead or a sale. Results from a small panel should be described with the panel and conditions attached.

Google treats generative search work as part of SEO. Be cautious when a pitch depends on a special AI file, an arbitrary content formula or guaranteed inclusion rather than useful pages and a verifiable scope.

Name the person who will interpret each finding and the people who can change content, technical settings and supporting material. If those owners are missing, another dashboard may add observations without resolving the delivery problem.

A team with implementation capacity may need a measurement tool. A team unsure where the problem sits may need a diagnostic audit. A team with a clear backlog but no capacity may need managed delivery. The same business can need different routes at different times.

Use the same small question panel and relevant competitor set when evaluating products. Inspect the returned records, missing observations and source lists. Different score formulas are not necessarily measuring the same thing.

Judge whether the trial helps your team explain one useful page change. If it produces a score with no inspectable basis or actionable finding, that is a reason to ask for a clearer demonstration before committing.

Confirm observation limits, seats, exports, extra data charges and the time your team needs to review results. For a service, confirm whether page changes are included or whether the fee buys recommendations only.

Keep a clear distinction between measured observations, completed page changes and commercial outcomes. A paid dashboard or managed service cannot guarantee that an answer system will cite a page or that a citation will produce an enquiry.

• Google guidance on generative AI search

Founder of TomHow and senior operator for SEO, GEO, AEO, and AI search evidence.

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Founder of TomHow, based in Stevenage. SEO and AI search consultancy.

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